By Ryan Massad, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – Dave Anthony, 24, from Shrewsbury, is the guitarist, and one of two frontmen for Nemes, a unique folk/punk mix group that is on the rise. With influences ranging from Foo Fighters to Blues legend Robert Johnson, the members have a broad familiarity with different genres, and effectively blend several together. Dave's older brother, Chris, 26, plays drums in the band.
“We'se been making music together since we were very young,” Dave said. “We'se very tight.”
Dave met Nemes” other frontman, and violinist Josh Knowles, 22, in the St. John's High School Jazz Ensemble. Bassist/Pianist Alex Glover, 24, met the members of Nemes while touring with the band Sweet Hollow Drive. The current five-piece group was complete after adding Alain Lubin, 23, from Miami, Fla., as another guitarist. Lubin attended Berklee College of Music, where he met Knowles.
From 2005 to 2008, Dave played several solo acoustic shows, while the band solidified members.
“Chris was in college, so I decided I's just play as many coffee shops and open-mic nights as I could,” Dave said. “In 2008, we finally settled in with a solid lineup and got serious.”
After determining the group members, and working on some new material, Nemes embarked on a three-week mini tour that took the band to the Midwest, the South, and back, cumulating with a hometown show at the QVCC Worcester, which an estimated 200 fans attended.
Two of Nemes” more notable achievements came more recently. In 2010, the band was recognized by “Alternative Press” magazine as one of the year's top unsigned artists. Writing and touring ensued as the word spread, until January 2012, when Nemes released a seemingly impromptu performance of their “Heart Shaped Box” rendition, originally recorded and performed by Nirvana. Not long after the YouTube upload, the official Nirvana Facebook page posted the video, along with the caption “unique version of “Heart Shaped Box.””
To put it in prospective for social media fans, in a matter of days, the link had about 12,000 “likes,” over 2,000 shares, and 800 (mostly) positive comments, all of which tallied up to a staggering 75,000 views for the original upload on YouTube. The five young musicians hope that the recognition stemming from the video is the sunlight that cracks the ice in their burgeoning careers.
Nemes has a busy spring ahead, with shows Saturday, April 28, at Beatnik's in Worcester, and Monday, May 7, in Boston, opening up for Rise Records artist Hot Water Music. Nemes is also set to open for longtime acoustic rock act Rusted Root, Saturday, May 12, in Shirley. May 12 is Nemes” first performance to be completely sold out.
“Booking shows with bigger national acts feels great,” Dave said. “We’ve grown so much that we just need a bigger tank. I hate to say we’re a bigger fish now, but I’ve always felt hungry for the big stage. Hopefully we can be opening for Foo Fighters in five years, but who knows what tomorrow brings.”